A Debt Repaid
by merhotepbecca
Summary: Sequel to Unexpected Allies. Need a title for Chapter 8!!
1. Surprise Guests

A/N: This is the sequel to "Unexpected Allies", categorized under the Harry Potter section of this wonderful website. In case you hadn't figured it out, this is a LOTR/HP hybrid. Read the first part to understand this part better

Disclaimer: This is for all of the chapters: I OWN NOTHING!! Not Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or anything to do with them. So don't sue me!

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Chapter 1: Surprise Guests

The Fellowship stared at their surroundings. No longer were they at Hogwarts, but exactly where they had been pulled from when they'd been mysteriously called to the school by a spell. A feeling of sadness coursed through the group; they missed their new friends terribly.

Gandalf had grown fond of the young wizard named Harry Potter, even though the boy had hardly ever stopped staring at the Maiar's pointy hat. Aragorn and Legolas missed Ron and talking battle skills with him. Legolas had also formed a friendship with Hermione and was desolate in the absence of her cleverness. Boromir and Gimli missed everyone equally, although the dwarf had grown rather fond of the Gryffindor girls. The hobbits were beside themselves with missing the house elves and their delicious platters of food that seemed to appear out of nowhere. 

Gandalf turned his weary face to his companions and said, "We now have no choice. We must face the deep dark of Moria."

And off they went into the mines. The group was solemn; not even Pippin was cracking a joke or smiling. _That fool of a Took should have said something by now. I wonder if he's feeling ill, _Gandalf thought. He continued on this train of thought for quite some time.

All of a sudden, he stopped short. He'd run into something that he swore wasn't there a second ago. It was a black-robed figure with an exact replica of his own hat on its head. Behind the figure, three more heads bowed under hoods (no hats), so he couldn't see who they were.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Gandalf demanded. _No one's inhabited these mines in decades. Who are these strangers that would defy all reason?_

The hatted figure murmured, "You know us." It raised its head slowly. "You left our company just a few hours ago."

With those words, Gandalf knew who it was underneath that hat. When the light from his staff illuminated the startling green eyes behind black-rimmed glasses, Gandalf bent down and embraced the young wizard.

"Hello Harry. That's a wonderful hat you've got there."

Harry grinned up at the Maiar. "Thank you, Gandalf. I believe you know my companions as well."

With that, the other three figures revealed their faces. Hermione and Ron beamed at the Fellowship, and the odd group of travelers smiled right back. Aragorn shook Ron's hand, and Legolas gave the back of Hermione's hand a suave kiss. At this, the girl's face turned a remarkable shade of red. Ron winked at her. Embarrassed, Hermione punched Ron playfully in the arm. Everyone laughed.

The person that no one had expected to be there was Professor Snape. He came complete with assorted potions in his bag. Gandalf gave the man a questioning look, and Severus replied, "You told me to look after him, Sir Gandalf, and I will perform that duty to the best of my ability."

The old wizard smiled and said, "Please, just Gandalf. I'm glad to see you cam along, Professor."

Snape smirked. "Please, just Severus."

Harry grinned proudly at his potions teacher and said to Gandalf, "Haven't I done a good job softening him up?"

Severus gave Harry an indignant look. The younger wizard had to bite his tongue to keep from bursting out in laughter.

Aragorn was confused. "I don't understand. Why did you follow us?"

Ron, breaking up his play-fight with Hermione, responded, "Because you helped us with our big bad guy problem, so I'll be bloody damned if we aren't going to help with yours!" He ducked as Hermione threw a fake punch at him. Aragorn and Legolas broke up the fight; they didn't want their friends to hurt each other, especially when it would be accidental. Ron looked disappointed, but Hermione graciously suffered being pulled from the fight in Legolas's arms. She still squirmed, to make it seem like she was trying to get out of his strong grasp, but obviously wasn't truly attempting to escape. Harry rolled his eyes.

"'Moine, if you're going to flirt with the elf, please don't do it where we can all see!"

Everyone but the girl snorted with laughter. She looked more embarrassed than Harry had ever seen her before. She turned a brilliant shade of scarlet, but made no effort to leave the elf's embrace. Harry noted that Legolas wasn't too quick in letter her go, either.

Gandalf, still chuckling over the young wizards' antics, turned and led the group onward. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked behind him, the boys teasing the girl mercilessly. However, when she suggested that Harry and Ron had crushes on Gandalf and Aragorn, respectively, they shut their mouths. 

Severus, walking behind his students, couldn't help but grin at their foolishness. The smile looked as if it were on completely alien territory. He thought of Potter having a crush on the old man…_Harry, not Potter, Harry_…He would never get used to calling the young boy Harry. Six years of one thing takes a while to change to something completely different.

As Severus mulled over this, Aragorn and Legolas were walking behind him. They were discussing something that had become evident during the youngster's fight. "Legolas, you shouldn't get too attached to her. You may like her, but she can't stay here, you know that."

"I know, but alas, I cannot say that I do not adore her cleverness. She's one of the most fascinating people I've ever met, and am likely to ever meet, and I'd like to at least have a decent friendship with her before she returns to her world!"

"But will it stay a friendship, Legolas? Will you be able to keep it from becoming more? If not, then it will only hurt more when she departs."

Legolas frowned. "I'm aware of that, Elessar. If it goes to more, then we will decide together what should be done. If not, then it is of no consequence."

Aragorn gave him a pitying look and said nothing. The elf scowled. "Auta miqula orqu."

Strider whipped his head around. "Mani ume lle quena?"

Legolas shook his head, refusing to repeat that he had directed the man-who-would-be-king to go kiss an orc, and dropped his pace enough that he fell back to even with Gimli. The dwarf had, in his boredom, begun singing the Britney Spears song that some of the girls in Harry's realm had taught him. The girls had taken as much of a liking to Gimli as he had to them. Perhaps they just had fun braiding his beard and tying the ends off with little pink bows. Gimli sure seemed to enjoy it.

Legolas listened to the dwarf with amused interest.

"I'm a slaaaaaave for you…"

"Really now, Gimli? I'm flattered."

The dwarf, who had been completely oblivious to Legolas's presence, turned to look up at him with obvious surprise evident in his eyes. Clearing his throat, Gimli said, "Oh, er, didn't see ya there." He muttered under his breath, "Damn poncy pretty-boy elf…"

Legolas glanced at the dwarf, who quickly went to whistling innocently. The made-up tune eventually turned to the Britney Spears song again. Growing weary of the same repeated tune (Gimli only had time to learn the refrain of the song, not the verses), the elf slackened his pace yet again to fall in beside Boromir. They both, by silent agreement, fell into their own deep thoughts.

Behind them, Merry and Pippin were entertaining themselves with a game of "I spy", which was way too easy, because it was quite dark in the Mines, so most of the games went as follows;

"I spy something…grey."

"The walls!"

"You got it!"

"I spy something…grey…"

Further back, Sam and Frodo were discussing their time spent in Harry's world. Sam was questioning Frodo, "Do ya think that Professor Dumbledore will notice he's gone, Mister Frodo?"

"I don't know, Sam. How did he manage to get in your pact without you noticing?"

"It was probably that last day, at breakfast. Do you think the house-elves knew something was going to happen?"

"No, Sam, I don't think anyone expected that. But of course, those creatures are pretty odd." Frodo sighed. "I just wonder when the best time is to reveal Dobby to them."

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End Chapter 1

A/N: There, long enough for those of you that wanted longer chapters?? I hope you enjoyed it!! I LOVE REVIEWS!! Please be a dear and click the button and give me what I like!


	2. Moria and Flight to Lothlorien

A/N: Here's chapter 2...special thanks to Padfootbaby, my first and so far only reviewer for this story. On with the show!

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Chapter 2: Moria and Flight to Lothlorien

Back at the head of the line, Gandalf suddenly halted. Everyone looked at him expectantly. Had another group of strangers decided to take them by surprise? Gandalf indulged their curiosity. "I have no memory of this place."

The others dropped their loads as they observed the old wizard settling himself on a rock. Frodo noticed some big bluish eyes peering at him and rushed up to the Maiar to question him about them.

Meanwhile, Dobby had slipped out of Sam's pack and tiptoed around, eyes large and bright. Harry glimpsed the house-elf's eyes and sat, riveted, not being able to determine what the creature was just by those creepy eyes. Then, the light from Gandalf's staff revealed the glittery pink headband the creature had taken to wearing as a belt and the red oven mitt he'd strapped onto his head with someone's old bootlace. His garb gave the house-elf away immediately.

"Dobby?" Harry gaped in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

"Sir, please don't be mad at Dobby. Dobby just wants to keep Harry Potter safe! So Dobby stowed away in one of the Hungry Ones' knapsack to keep an eye on sir!"

"Dobby, I'm fine, I'll be fine! I have a professor and a great wizard to protect me! Still," Harry lowered his voice at the frightened look on Dobby's face, "it's nice to know you're worried about me."

Dobby's face lit up. "Dobby is so privileged to serve such a kind master!" He scrambled over to Harry, grabbed his hand and began kissing it subserviently.

Harry shook off the house-elf. "I'm not your master, Dobby! Please don't grovel."

Dobby nodded meekly, apologized, and offered Harry and his friends some food he'd stashed in Sam's pack. They accepted small portions. Then the house-elf offered some to Professor Snape, who declined, then the others in the group. As he was doing this, Dobby noticed the eyes Frodo had seen before and went scampering up to them, thinking they belonged to another house-elf. Before he could reach them, however, the odd eyes disappeared into the depths of Moria.

A voice came from where Gandalf was seated. "Ah, it's that way! The air doesn't smell so foul down there!"

Everyone got up, put on their packs and followed Gandalf down the dark passageway.

Once they exited the dimly-lit staircase, the light radiating from the staff revealed some lit and shadowed forms resembling gigantic pillars. Gandalf turned the light up to an amount that was almost blinding to look at directly, and the shadows leapt back as if afraid of the light, revealing a seemingly endless space filled with columns.

"Behold," Gandalf spoke, "The great Dwarven city of Dwarrowdelf!"

The group began walking through the city, gaping openly at the incredible height of the ceiling that didn't really appear to exist. Some light from an adjoining chamber penetrated the darkness. Apparently, this chamber had some significance to Gimli, because he shouted 'NO!' and ran off into it.

***

Ok, we've all either read the books or seen the movie. I felt it would be detrimental to the Lord of the Rings legacy if I tried to incorporate the new characters largely into the next part, so just imagine that everything happens the same, just with Harry and his companions in the shots or storyline. The only real difference is Ganalf's odd feeling of deja vú at the scene where the Balrog takes him into Shadow. Beyond that, nothing really significant happens until they're running to Lothlorien. If I get enough requests for writing this part, I'll try, but I'm not promising a masterpiece.

***

"Bloody hell," Ron murmured, "I need to get in shape!"

Hermione agreed with him. They'd run all the way from that dark cave place, and her energy was waning quickly. She felt sorry for Sam, who was not just carrying his supplies and half of Frodo's, but was also lugging Dobby around.

__

Of course, she thought, _if I can keep Legolas in front of me, I could probably run forever!_

She didn't know why she found the elf attractive. Maybe it was the piercing blue eyes. Perhaps it was the way he talked in that Renaissance-Middle Ages fashion, calling her 'milady' and such. Whatever it was, it was making her feel light-headed and shy. Her incentive for the last half-hour or so had been trying to catch the fleet-footed gorgeous blond elf.

She focused on it again, slowly pulling ahead of Harry and Ron. Unfortunately, a tree root appeared out of nowhere and tripped her. She sprawled on the meadow grass and let out a small cry. Her legs had been knocked harshly into a rock, and as she tried to get up her legs protested with a sharp pang. 

Ron and Harry stopped to try and help her up, but she couldn't stand. Professor Snape, who had lagged behind more than the trio, finally caught up and assessed the damage. "It's not broken, Miss Granger, although there will be a single large bruise on both legs for quite some time."

Hermione whimpered and, propped between Harry and Ron, slowly hobbled towards the forest. Legolas's elf-ears picked up on the absence of footsteps behind the Fellowship. He glanced over his shoulder to see Hermione stumbling along between her two friends. Without even thinking, he turned back and ran to the group. "We can't afford to be slowed down." He scooped up the injured girl in his arms and began running after the Fellowship.

Hermione sneaked a look up at Legolas. He was gazing intently ahead. She let her eyes go half-closed. Through her eyelashes, she noticed Legolas's quick glance down at her. His eyes were full of concern. _Hey, _she thought, _maybe this isn't so bad after all._

***

Severus trailed behind his two students. _Now I wish I hadn't been such a lazy ass, _he thought. _Then I'd be better prepared for this running. _He noticed they were approaching the forest. _Finally, _he thought, _almost there. I don't know how the old man would have been able to keep up with us at this pace._

They had all been shocked when the Balrog took Gandalf. Frodo was probably the most emotionally traumatized, but Harry was also distressed He now guarded his hat like Cerberus did the Gates of Hades, the one reminder the young boy had of his late friend.

The professor noticed how Harry had taken off the hat and clung it to his chest. Severus sincerely hoped the boy didn't remain so attached to the odd hat. If anything happened to it, Harry could be emotionally scarred for a very long time.

Earlier, Aragorn had mentioned that the wood of Lothlorien was inhabited by elves. _Great, _he thought, _I hope they don't nance around like that pretty-boy elf carrying Granger._ But he suspected there would be much nancing, as all elves were, according to Aragorn, vain.

__

Oh well, he thought, _at least we'll be safe from those damn orcs. If there's one thing that pansy Legolas can do, it's protect us. Other than admiring himself, that is._

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End chapter 2

A/N: plz review!! Next chappy may take a while to post


	3. Shilo's Gift subtitle: Lothlorien

A/N: This chapter is titled the way it is because my friend asked me to write a little Snape/Haldir chappy for her birthday. This is that chapter. It's all implied, so it shouldn't be too offensive for those of you who dislike it. Happy Birthday Shilo!!

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Chapter 3: Lothlorien

Aragorn was the first to reach the edge of the forest. That surprised him, because Legolas could run swifter than the man could. But the elf was right behind him, carrying the girl, who was grimacing. "Mani marte?"

The elf replied, "She tripped."

"So you ran to her rescue? Trying to play hero to the damsel in distress again?"

Legolas glared at the human indignantly. "No, I knew we couldn't afford to be slowed down! So I took the source of the delay and made it nonexistant!"

Strider rolled his eyes, obviously not believing the elf's claimed motivation for aiding the girl, but said nothing.

He turned forward again to find an arrow pointed at his head. Three, in fact. They were surrounded!

Then he recognized the only elf in sight that was not aiming something at him. "Haldir, mellonamin." Aragorn greeted the commanding elf as his friend.

"Nae saian luume', Elessar," Haldir responded. *1* 

***

Severus gazed fixedly at the blond hunk Aragorn had just greeted. _Wow, _he thought, _I thought all elf males would be sissy-looking and girly like the one that has a 'thing' for Granger. But this one's just bloody **fine! **Sure, he may have long hair, but it just accentuates his masculine features, if that's possible!_

The professor openly admired the elf's lean, muscular body emphasized by the tight clothes that were apparently typical garb for the elf race. He'd thought only Legolas wore it to show off his elven qualities, such as tallness, muscularity, and just because it went well with the hair. On Legolas, the clothes looked positively feminine, but on that other elf…Severus stopped his thoughts before he began drooling. The feelings rushing around in his veins were not easy to ignore, as they would soon be visible to everyone nearby.

__

Well, maybe not, he thought, _my robes are pretty loose, perhaps no one will be able to tell. _He didn't want to take that chance, however, so reluctantly tore his gaze away from the gorgeous elf.

__

I'd just be kidding myself, Severus thought. _Why would a handsome creature like that want with a greasy potions master from a different realm?_

***

Haldir was relieved to see Elessar unharmed, especially after he told them that they'd just come through Moria.

He tried to keep up a consistent dialogue with the Man-Who-Would-Be-King, but the strange man behind him was distracting. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the oddly handsome human's intent stare at him drop suddenly, a slightly guilty look on his face. 

__

Hmmm, Haldir mused, _is he interested? If he were, I'd gladly take him up on it! His piercing dark eyes intrigue me. Maybe he'd even let me wash his hair!_

The elf controlled his thoughts. _No, _he considered, _after having only Legolas to represent our race, he probably has false impressions of elves. So why would a cute man like that want an elf?_

***

Severus observed his new lust-object through his peripheral vision. _Was he just looking at me? _He hoped so. That creature was the finest thing Severus had ever seen in either realm.

As Haldir greeted the Prince of Mirkwood, Severus chanced another look at the stranger. The elf clearly glanced at him for a moment, then seemed to remember he was talking to Legolas and looked back at the other elf.

Severus's heart leapt.

***

Once Haldir had greeted the two most important guests, he met the others. The elf said 'hello' to the Middle-Earthlings first. When he'd finished, he asked to meet the strangers.

An expression of mixed sorrow and amusement crossed Haldir's face when he saw Harry's hat. Hermione and Ron were so awed by all of the elves standing around them, they didn't hear Aragorn call them to be introduced. After dragging both youngsters over to where Haldir was, Aragorn introduced Ron and Legolas did the same for Hermione. The girl seemed so small next to the two elves. Not to mention the fact that she was embarrassed to have the guy of her dreams standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder. Her face was once again flushed. She gave her two best friends a glare when they couldn't help but giggle at her. 

Haldir watched the interaction with amusement, then smiled at Hermione. Taking this as her cue to go, she blushed an even deeper shade of red and quickly walked to where the laughing boys were standing. She shoved both of them in annoyance.

Severus realized it was his turn to be met. _Who is going to introduce me? _He asked himself, realizing that with Gandalf gone, he had no real high-status friends; the elf was too girly to be a good acquaintance, in his opinion, and the man was even greasier than he was! No matter what status either had, he couldn't become chums with either one. _I wonder what status Aragorn holds. He has to have quite a bit to be able to greet an obviously important elf in such a friendly manner. A mystery to ponder…_

Disrupting his train of thought, Boromir came up from behind him. "Come along, Professor."

Severus nervously stepped forward to stand in front of the glorious elf. Boromir began to speak; "I Boromir, Steward of Gondor, present Professor Severus Snape of Earth. Professor, this is Haldir, commander of the armies of Lothlorien."

Elf and man stared at each other for a moment, motionless. Then Haldir slowly brought his right hand across his chest so that his hand lay over his heart. Uncertainly, Severus did the same. Haldir slowly nodded hi head once, and the professor quickly followed suit.

The elf spoke, "Greetings, Professor Severus Snape. We welcome you and your students to stay with us for as long as you please."

__

Oh hell, Severus thought, _the way he said my name. It was so perfect! I hope he says it again._

The professor replied, "Thank you, Haldir of Lothlorien. Unfortunately, we must go with the Fellowship. We are greatly in their debt."

A small cry made them both startle out of their gazes. Dobby had been hiding in the shadows, scared of the unusual tallness of the elves. Then his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had attempted to sneak closer to one of the elves to get a better look. The elf he'd been nearing was slightly startled by the odd creature examining him with such intense eyes. In the typical fashion of elves, his first reflex was to draw an arrow, nock it point it at Dobby's head faster than the house elf had time to realize the tall creature had noticed him. The deadly weapon aimed at his head had made Dobby cry out. Harry, seeing the murderous look in his interrupted professor's eyes, quickly dragged Dobby away.

Turning back to the elf, Severus said, "As I was saying, we will leave with the Fellowship. Although, the house-elf may wish to remain here."

Dobby let out a small squeak and quickly plodded over to the Severus. "If it pleases the professor, Dobby must protect Harry Potter!"

Severus, slightly annoyed at the house-elf's stubbornness, replied, "I am perfectly capable of that. Perhaps you'll learn something here. No doubt it would make a great story for the other house-elves at Hogwarts." The professor realized he was seemingly too nice and civil in comparison to his normal self. Was about to make a snide comment when he remembered that Haldir was watching. He stifled the suggestion of the house-elf's obedience that was on the tip of his tongue.

With a little more coaxing from the others, Dobby finally agreed to remain in Lothlorien, on the condition that the omnipotent author would check up on him occasionally and make sure the elves didn't shoot him.

The elves led the group into Caras Galadhon, the chief city of all elves. They went to see Galadriel, the Lady of Light. When Severus felt Galadriel in his mind, he glanced at her. She was looking back at him. She cast a quick, knowing glance at Haldir, then looked back to him. Then she did something totally unexpected; she gave him a little grin and a wink. Severus felt himself jump in surprise. _Maybe what I'm thinking isn't a total loss after all._

***

__

Wow, Haldir thought as he watched the Fellowship and company leave Lothlorien the next day. _That was amazing. _He and Severus had spent the early evening of yesterday walking through the forest and talking. Eventually, they had gotten tired of talk and started on more physical things, more intimate things. It had been a night to remember. _I hope he comes back someday. _He saw Severus turn around and wave good-bye. Haldir returned the farewell. _I really hope he does._

***

Severus was still in a daze. He hadn't really wanted to leave Lothlorien, but he had to keep his word to Gandalf. It was hard to think about his situation at the moment, because all his focus had to go into trying to paddle the elf boat. As a parting gift, Galadriel had given the four Earthlings free passes to Middle-Earth. Apparently, she had connections with the being that had created Middle-Earth, so she could give those things out. Severus thought hopeful thoughts and, as his arms got into a rhythmic swing he didn't really have to think about, he let his mind drift to thoughts of Haldir in those tight pants.


	4. Amon Hen

**Chapter 4: **Amon Hen

Dobby watched as his friends paddled away down the river.  The house-elf was nervous about seeing Harry Potter go on without house-elf protection, but Dobby was sure Professor Snape could handle it.  _Dobby hopes so, at least._

He was startled out of his blank gaze by Galadriel.  "Come, Little Elf, we shall find lodging for you.  Where would you like to stay?"

"Please, My Lady, whatever is available is suitable for Dobby.  Dobby is not needing accommodation.  Dobby is merely a house-elf."

Galadriel smiled kindly.  "In this world, you are one of a kind.  You may have more status than you're used to.  Let us go introduce you.  What would you like to accomplish while here?" she asked as they began walking towards the main part of the city.

"Dobby would learn recipes to take back home, if possible.  House-elves exist to serve masters, and new foods could bring favor.  If it's not too much trouble, Dobby would learn your language."

They were now reentering Caras Galadhon.  The Lady of Light beckoned to one of the elves wandering in a guard uniform.  "Prepare a room for our new friend, and inform the Head Cook that he should expect a visitor that wishes to learn some recipes."

The guard bowed and moved quickly away.  Galadriel stared after him, and in a second, the guard began to move even faster.

~"Come, Dobby, we go to meet the city."~

Dobby was startled.  He had heard the Lady speak, but not with his ears.  She had somehow put her voice in his head.  A little unnerved, he followed after the tall beautiful elf.  _Elves in this land are odder even then house-elves._

*          *          *

As they rowed down the river, Harry let his mind wander.  He wondered where they were headed now.  He had no idea why they were even traveling.  No one had told the visitors anything about this voyage.  He decided to ask one of the others about it when they landed.

Harry was snapped back to realization by voices in the boats ahead of him.  He glanced up and gaped in amazement.  Gargantuan statues loomed just ahead of them.  He heard two words, "the Argonath," and supposed whoever had said it meant the two giants.  Aragorn's voice came softly over the water; "Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old."  The words had a chilling effect.  Harry shivered slightly as they passed between the two stone megaliths.  

Ahead of them was a small lake, and beyond that was what seemed to be a gigantic waterfall.  Fortunately, they pulled off to the right bank before they reached it.  As they exited the boats, Harry glanced around to see who would be good to ask about their mission.  He noticed Frodo wandering off on his own and followed him quickly.

"Frodo, wait up!" he shouted.  Frodo slowed down until Harry had caught up.  "Hey, why are we traveling anyway?"

The hobbit was a bit surprised by the question.  He got over it quickly and began to respond.  "Our Dark Lord, Sauron, made twenty rings of power, although in the beginning only nineteen were known of.  The nineteen were given to the elves, dwarves, and men.  The final ring Sauron forged and kept for his own.  It had the power to control the others.  Prince Isildur cut the ring from Sauron's finger during the final battle.  The Dark Lord's body was destroyed, but his spirit lived on.  He's trying to get the ring back.  In order to kill him for good, the ring must be destroyed.  That is our mission."  He pulled a ring on a chain out from under his shirt.  It was a simple gold band.  It hardly seemed extraordinary; until Harry felt the power radiating from it.  The pure evil surrounding it was terrible, yet oddly compelling.

Before the feeling overtook him, Harry thanked Frodo for explaining and left swiftly.  He almost collided with Boromir in his haste.  When he reached the others, he dragged Hermione away from Legolas and brought her over to where Professor Snape was giving a potions lesson to the obviously bored Ron.  The teacher was more docile than usual, not yelling at the redhead nearly as much.

Harry told them about what Frodo had said.  They agreed that their situation had become more dangerous than they'd imagined.  

When they finished their discussion, they noticed Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were gone, as well as Boromir and Frodo, who apparently had not returned from the forest yet.  Pippin, Sam, and Merry beckoned to them to follow, then turned and started off into the woods.  The four visitors rapidly stood up and jogged after them.

By the time they'd caught up, they saw Boromir fighting off big ugly creatures, trying his best to protect Pip and Merry, who were crouching behind him, clutching the daggers Galadriel had given them.  The biggest and ugliest of the disgusting creatures launched an arrow at Boromir.  It embedded itself in his chest.  Pippin and Merry became enraged and started trying to battle the enemy.  Another arrow landed in Boromir, who was still fighting.  He continued to do so until a third found its mark.  As Boromir fell to his knees, two of the creatures picked up Pippin and Merry and started carrying them off.  

Suddenly, from behind, Harry felt a whoosh of air and realized Ron was no longer beside him.  Looking ahead, he saw the redhead over the shoulder of one of the creatures.

Hermione went running.  _Finding Legolas, no doubt.  _Then Harry noticed Sam running through the forest.  He took off after him.  Harry heard Snape following him.  _This ought to be interesting._

*          *          *

Legolas looked up sharply at the sound of footsteps racing towards him.  He was relieved to see it was only Hermione, but nervous at the distressed look on her face.  The young girl threw herself at him, and he caught her in an embrace.  "What's wrong, Arwenamin?"

She began to cry.  "They got Ron!  Those nasty creatures got Ron!  And Merry and Pippin, too!"  

As he held the weeping girl, thoughts began racing through his mind.  _Why would the Uruk-hai take them alive?  Well, they would have been told by Saruman to take hobbits, since one of them has the ring.  But what of Ron? There was no need to take him.  Perhaps he looked a bit like a hobbit.  He was one of the young ones, after all, about as tall as a hobbit.  But why not the other two?  Why not take Harry and Hermione?  Well, Harry had the hat on, so they might've guessed he wasn't a hobbit. As for Hermione…I don't know.  Perhaps they could only grab one, and Ron was more obvious with his red hair.  His hair was the same color as Merry's and Pippin's, after all.  I'm just glad they didn't take Hermione; I'm not sure she could have made it through alive._

Hermione's sobs began to fade.  Legolas lifted her chin up to look into her teary eyes.  "It will be all right, Melamin."  He gave her a small kiss on her forehead, then hugged her to him.  "Don't worry, we shall get them back, no matter what.  We wouldn't let Boromir die in vain."

They separated and went over to Aragorn and Gimli.  They were discussing the hobbit-napping.  Legolas told them that Ron had been taken as well.  The four of them took off for the shore, Aragorn and Legolas carrying Boromir's body.

*          *          *

Ron was amazed to see the Professor and his two best friends disappearing behind him.  The shoulder he'd been slung over was hard as a rock and very grimy.  His elbows banged painfully against the armored back attached to the shoulder.  A strong clawed hand kept him from going head-first over the iron-clad shoulder.  Next to him, the creature's greasy filthy hair flopped in stringy strands down its back.  On either side were Merry and Pippin being carried similarly by two other creatures.  

Suddenly, the one carrying Ron leapt over a fallen log.  Ron's forehead knocked forcibly against the iron armor.  Everything went dark.

*          *          *

Harry and Professor Snape caught up to Sam just as he stepped out of the forest.  They watched as he waded into the water.  Harry and Severus quickly got into one of the other boats and paddled out after Frodo, who had just rescued Sam from the water.  Frodo glanced at them and, after a moment's consideration, nodded his consent.  Together, they rowed to the opposite shore.

As they reached it, Harry sneaked a look back.  Just before they headed into the forest, he caught a fleeting glimpse of his other friends.  _Be careful, 'Mione._

*          *          *

Hermione sprinted out of the forest in just enough time to see Harry disappearing into the woods on the other side of the lake.  The others laid Boromir's body in a boat, his arms crossed and clutching his sword, and let it drift over the edge of the immense waterfall.

Legolas rushed up to get one of the other boats, saying that if they left now, they could catch Frodo and the others.  Aragorn rejected the idea, replying that Frodo's fate was no longer in their hands, and that as long as they held true to each other, the Fellowship would never fail.

Then they took off running, ready to chase the orcs down, and Hermione had little option but to follow.

*          *          *

A/N:  Should I go onto the next book?? I know I ended here with the beginning of the second book, but the movie is easier for me to follow (pretty pictures are easy to keep in order!)  If you'd rather I followed the book for the second portion, leave a review and let me know.  Just keep in mind that it'll take me longer to write chapter then.  Even if you don't want me to follow the book, please review!!  No reviews, no chapter 5!


	5. Of Running and Trekking

A/N: I see you guys like this story…I won't leave you hanging, but I'm not promising this to be very good. If you like it, tell me, moral support = more chapters J 

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Chapter 5: Of Running and Trekking 

Severus's feet were practically numb from the cool chill of the craggy rocks they were meandering through. Every step felt painful only in his ankle, where it was like a thousand needles were shoved through it every time his foot hit the ground. Glancing ahead, he could see Harry wasn't making out much better than he was. The boy was limping slightly, putting a little more weight on his left leg. _He must have turned his ankle more seriously than I thought._

Harry had gotten his foot caught between two stones momentarily, twisting his foot around awkwardly. He had shown no signs of pain at the time, but it was now obvious that he was hurt. A sharp pang of worry coursed through Severus, but he quickly quelled it. _No, Severus, you can NOT feel sorry for the boy. Can't let him see that you're concerned about him, he'll think you're weak!_

As he was lost in his thoughts, he almost ran into Harry, who had stopped. The boy flinched at almost being knocked over, and Severus was instantly sorry. He almost told Harry so, but stopped himself just in time. 

Harry had stopped because Sam and Frodo had decided it was a good time for a food break, which consisted mainly of lembas and a very small amount of water. Severus accepted his share without complaint. _This elfish food isn't that bad, once you get used to it, and you're not THAT used to it._

Up ahead, he heard Frodo say, "We're not alone." _Not alone? Who else would be here with us? Surely no one else from our world, unless that hobbit managed to let something else in his pack without noticing. But then what? …_

***

Gimli's energy was running thin. He just couldn't keep up with the much longer-legged man and elf. Hermione had decided she liked his pace better than that of the other two and was running alongside him. She wasn't much for conversation though; the dwarf had noticed that so far her gaze hadn't left the back of the elf quite a ways ahead. _Ruddy humans and their crushes._

Gimli liked Hermione. Her bushy hair reminded him of the female dwarfs. If she had a beard, well, she'd be identical to one! Except that she was much too lanky to be a dwarf. Nevertheless, the dwarf had found someone that he could feel halfway comfortable around. The elf and the man were just too flighty for him. Hermione was more down-to-earth, more real. She had fewer and lesser goals, and one of them was not a requirement to act royal. She could just talk, and not about only their mission. That is, she could talk when not distracted by the posterior of a tall handsome elf.

Gimli rolled his eyes and focused on running. _This journey is going to be longer than I thought._

__

*** 

Ron's eyes slowly opened. The jarring he was receiving from the movement of the running creature under him had caused his head to bang against the armor again, waking him from his uncomfortable state of unconsciousness. As he became more aware of things, he could hear Pippin quietly calling out Merry's name. He cautiously lifted his aching head enough to see the others out of his peripheral vision.

Merry didn't look that good. A nasty gash went from his eyebrow to the middle of his forehead. He wasn't responding to Pippin's pleading voice. Ron looked at Pippin in just enough time to see him rip the Lothlorien badge off his cloak with his teeth and spit it on the ground. _Now why would he do that, _Ron thought, _it was a beautiful pin. _

Then the obvious genius of Pippin's idea came to Ron. _Of course, a clue!!_ Then his knee bounced against something painfully. It felt as if his kneecap had shattered. Ron passed out from the pain.

***

Harry shifted uncomfortably on the stony ledge. _How do they manage to sleep on this damn cliff? _He glanced at the hobbits, peacefully at rest. _They must be used to it._

His eyes caught a slight movement in the shadows above where the two hobbits were sleeping. He was startled when the hobbits jumped up and grabbed the shadow, wrestling it to the ground. The creature began trying to strangle the two halflings and grab the hint of gold peeking out from behind Frodo's worn and filthy shirt. 

Harry moved as quickly as he could and shook the professor awake. _Geez, how can he sleep through this? Very deeply, that's how. _"Come on Professor, wake up!" he urgently whispered. Harry began shaking Severus a little harder until the professor finally snorted and groggily opened his eyes. "Wha….what's going on, Pott…I mean Harry?"

__

Did he just almost call me Potter? He must not be over that phase yet. "Um, there's some kind of weird creature beating up on the hobbits, Professor."

Professor Snape sat up quickly and watched with Harry as Frodo drew his sword and pointed it at the thing's throat. He mumbled something that ended with 'gollum', so Harry assumed that was what the creature was called. Frodo told the creature to release his hold on Sam's neck. The creature did so grudgingly. Harry then took some of the rope Sam had gotten from the elves and tied it around the 'gollum's' neck. Sam motioned that Harry and Professor Snape should get up and pack. They did so, wondering what and who the creature was. He had to be significant in this world because Frodo knew him by name. 

Frodo and Sam walked ahead of the creature, dragging it by the rope. The professor and the student followed the stumbling and complaining 'gollum', still marveling at this unexpected addition to their group.

__

He looks a bit like Dobby. In the ears and eyes sense. Harry smiled at the thought of the house-elf. _I wonder what he's doing now. _

***

Dobby stood in front of the enormous crowd of elves. _Dobby is not sure he likes being stared at. He is not sure at all. _Every last one of the graceful beings had their eyes riveted on him. The house-elf was shaking in fear and anticipation. _What is there to possibly say about a humble house-elf like Dobby? Perhaps Dobby won't have to stand here for long, since there is not much to say._

Galadriel stood beside him, a dainty hand on the glittery headband around his head. She spoke in a melodic and mystic voice, "This is Dobby. He is our guest. His group of companions came here from a different realm, and at the moment he is incredibly scared of all of you. Please make him feel welcome and look at me instead of him. It will help to heal his nervousness."

Dobby watched as every gaze shifted to the lady beside him. _That's power, Dobby thinks._

The Lady went on speaking, "He will be here with us for an undetermined amount of time. Please treat him with the utmost respect. If I get any reports of misbehavior toward our guest, there will be great pain to those involved in it."

All the elves quivered nervously. Then Galadriel nodded, and they all began going about their normal business. _Dobby thinks he likes this Lady. She is good to poor Dobby._

Galadriel smiled at him and said, "That building behind you is my home. Enter there and just tell the guards you would like to go to the kitchens. They'll have heard who you are by now. I must attend to my duties."

Dobby nodded and began to walk away. He was startled when a voice in his head said, ~"Come back for a moment, Little Elf"~ He turned around and the Lady walked up to him. She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. ~"Welcome to Lothlorien, Dobby."~ 

Dobby blushed then hurried off to the castle. _Oh yes, Dobby likes the Lady very much._

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A/N: I've gotten a request from a friend to add slash into this story. Anyone object or have suggestions for pairings? Review and let me know. Thank you!


	6. Of Evil and Encounters

A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to rogue solus. In response to her questions and comments; I believe I'm going to follow the movie storyline, just because it's easier to picture. If I leave anything out, be sure to let me know. I will NOT kill Haldir. He was never supposed to die in the first place. Besides, he's too cute to die. I was wondering how to get Snape to Helm's Deep, but you solved my problem! Thanks! And yes, you're right, the girls of the story, at least the way they're represented in the movies, are very wimpy. Hermione will most definitely be a heroine in her own right. I just have to plan out when. And your review was not boring at all. On to the story!

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Chapter 6: Of Evil and Encounters

Severus trudged along after the others. The odd creature on the makeshift leash in front of him was struggling and whining, saying, "It burns! It hurts us!" The Potions Master had never appreciated students who dared complain in his class, and this creature was no different. His lips curled into an annoyed snarl and his leg moved of its own volition, kicking out at the odd creature. 

A black blur blocked his incoming kick. He gazed in wonder at Harry, who had intercepted him. Severus's leg had connected with Harry's. The student glared at his professor. "Professor, why are you abusing him? He hasn't done anything!"

Severus, a bit annoyed at the boy for berating him, gave a low growl in his throat. "Why are you protecting him, Potter?"

Harry must have realized his slip in regards to his name because his eyes narrowed. "Because he's as defenseless as your students, and as innocent!" 

The professor pondered this for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you're correct. However, my students are also ignorant children, too soft and weak for their own good. I make them fear me so they have something to be afraid of in their insignificant lives."

Those green eyes snapped open and glared at Severus. "You don't think this creature has enough to fear? You heard his story last night. He is frightened of the Dark Lord of this realm, and has reason to fear him! He's like me, in a way…" Harry's voice drifted off.

Severus thought about what the boy had said. _He's right. The creature does have enough to fear. But I won't let him know that. _"You think what you want, Po…Harry. As I will think what I wish."

The glare on the student's face faded slightly. Severus saw the hobbits halt, take the leash off of the creature, and tell it to lead them to the Black Gate, whatever that was. _Well, at least he'll stop complaining now._

***

Hermione was practically dead on her feet. They hadn't stopped to rest in about two days. She just wanted to fall down right there and doze for about a decade. She noticed Aragorn motioning Legolas , Gimli, and herself behind a medium-sized boulder. Once she got there, Hermione collapsed onto the ground, thankful for the break. The elf cast her a worried look, and she returned it with a half-exhausted smile. She didn't want Legolas worrying about her, after all. At least, she THOUGHT she didn't. Hermione wasn't too sure about anything in this world. She didn't like not knowing.

Hermione groaned as she saw Aragorn and the others tense up, seemingly waiting for something. Then, a sudden thunder hit her ears. She looked to where they'd just been standing a moment ago and saw about 100 men on horseback. Aragorn stepped out from behind the boulder and shouted at the riders. She heard the word 'Rohirrim', so figured that must be who they were. Legolas had mentioned before that they're traveling through an area of Middle-Earth called Rohan, so she supposed it made sense. 

At the sound of Aragorn's shout, the riders made a U-turn and came back to where they were standing. Hermione grumbled as she followed the others towards the horsemen. The riders surrounded them, spears pointed at the four travelers. One of them came forward. "What business do a Man, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Woman have in the Riddermark?"

Gimli gave the speaker a smirk and said, "You tell me your name, Horsemaster, and I'll tell you mine."

For some reason, this upset the rider and he drew his sword. Before anyone knew what was happening, Legolas had drawn an arrow, nocked it in his bow, and aimed it at his head. "You would die before your stroke fell."

Aragorn pushed Legolas's bow down and made their excuses to the rider. What he said seemed to have a positive effect on the horseman. He dismounted and introduced himself as Éomer of Rohan. He told Aragorn he could go to Edoras if he wished, but his father, King Théoden, was under the power of Saruman, and he did not know anyone anymore, not even his own king.

Hermione was puzzled. _What do they mean, his own king? Who's his king? It's obviously not Legolas or Gimli, and it's obviously not me. Could it be Aragorn? This is so confusing._

Aragorn thanked Éomer and said they'd try their luck there anyway. They then asked if they'd seen the band of Uruk-hai running around. Éomer said they'd slain that bunch of creatures. Aragorn asked if they'd seen two hobbits, just children in the humans' eyes, and a young man with red hair. The leader of the Rohirrim said that they'd left none alive. The four travelers' faces fell. The riders departed, leaving them three horses of dead comrades from the Uruk-hai battle. They all mounted, Aragorn on one, Legolas and Gimli on the next, and Hermione struggling to stay on her brown mare. She had to admit it was better than riding on a broomstick, though. She drew a wand, muttered an adhesive spell to the saddle, and settled into it. She mended the broken rein on her horse's bridle and stashed her wand, grabbing the rein as her horse trotted off after the other two. _I hope Ron is ok._

***

Pippin looked around in fear. They had halted at the edge of a forest. The Uruk-hai were milling about, getting ready to rest for the night. One of them was eyeing the hobbits and Ron quite hungrily. Pippin gave a small shudder and edged toward the other two captives as well as he could with both his wrists and ankles bound. "Wha' d'ya think they're go'in to do wi' us?" 

Merry sat up slowly. "I don't know, Pip. Whatever it is, I hope it's not painful."

Pippin glanced at Ron for his opinion. The redheaded boy had a truly terrified look on his face. He didn't respond at all.

The Took sighed. He addressed Merry again. "Is tha' Fangorn Forest?"

Merry nodded. "Hey Pip, you remember the tales the Old Gaffer'd tell us about this Forest?" Pippin nodded. "He always said that the trees could speak to each other, whisper and creak to talk! He said ancient things lived there. Unknown dangers."

A chill went up Pippin's spine. He glanced at the dark woods, contemplating what Merry had said. As he was thinking, one of the Uruk-hai came up behind him and grabbed him. "You look tasty!"

The head Uruk-hai, Lurtz, grabbed the one holding Pippin by the scruff of his neck and dragged him off the hobbit. "These are NOT for eating! Saruman said they must be unspoiled!"

Another one spoke up. "What about their legs? They don't need them, do they?"

Yet another one lunged for the hobbits. Lurtz swung his sword around and, with a clean swish, cut the charging Uruk-hai's head off. "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!" 

As they were fighting over the fallen body, the three captives tried to squirm their way away from the creatures. As they crawled, they heard the whinnying of horses coming from behind them. A troupe of horsemen had come in and begun to attack the Uruk-hai.

Pippin was surprised by some sparks flying from behind him. He looked to his right. Ron was casting spells at any Uruk-hai that came near him. Pippin noticed that Ron's hands were no longer bound and saw a sharp blade by his side. Quickly, he motioned to Merry and they crawled to Ron and used the blade to release their hands and feet. Ron did the same with his feet, and they ran off into the forest, away from the battle and away from their captivity.

***

Dobby was amazed by the elves' kitchen. It was gigantic, with shelves and cupboards full of ingredients from all throughout Middle-Earth, and gargantuan ovens to cook it all. The lembas bread was exceptionally interesting, with all the nutrition and fullness it provided. 

The head chef was very nice, teaching Dobby some simple recipes and all of the ingredients he'd need to know. He had even gone as far as to find a stool for Dobby to stand on so he could see over the counter. The house-elf appreciated the gesture, seeing as he knew how disdainful it would be to have his feet on the food preparation surface. Every good house elf knew that.

"Now, you just add the wigroot like this...stir it about six times...then leave it to simmer for about five minutes. Then it's ready to serve. It goes well with figbread and lomweed."

Dobby watched in fascination. All of these ingredients he'd never heard of before going into an amazingly tantilizing stew. His house-elf magic enabled him to understand all languages, even Elvish, because if foreign guests came to visit his master and they wanted something to eat, Dobby would have to be able to understand them to properly anticipate their whim. Because of that, he could understand every language but could not speak them. That's why he wanted to learn the language of this land, so he could converse with these wonderful people properly. He had many questions to ask the chef.

In his excitement, the house-elf knocked the basket of fruit next to him off the counter. The chef's lightning reflexes save the basket before its contents spilled out onto the floor.

Dobby turned red. _Dobby should not be so careless!! BAD DOBBY, BAD!! _The house-elf grabbed a spare pot and began hitting himself on the head with it. The chef looked at Dobby as if he were acting slightly mental, which, in all honesty, he was. He reached down and snatched the pot out of Dobby's fist before he could permanently dent both the pan and his head.

Dobby seemed a little stunned at the sudden absence of his abusing object, then looked up. He grinned sheepishly at the chef. _Will Dobby ever get over his old habits, _the house-elf thought. _Dobby must remember that he is not the servant of that bad wizard now! He is the Headmaster's servant, and the Headmaster will not punish Dobby for screwing up! _

The chef gave Dobby a wide variety of ingredients and several elvish pots for cooking. Dobby, not knowing what else to do, bowed to the chef and went in search of his room, his arms laden down by roots and pots.

****

End Chapter 6

A/N: I'll get the next one up when I can!


	7. Author's Note

HELP!! You guys, I'm really stuck on this story! Any input would be greatly appreciated. If I don't get ideas, I'm not going to continue with it. I've gotten some good ones for later chapters, but none really for the next section, and when I have writer's block, it takes a million cranes to move. Thanks! I'm writing a Snape/Haldir story for Shilo sometime in the near future…email me if you'd like to know when it's posted. Thanks!

Your adoring author,

Merhotepbecca


	8. Odd Ends

A/N: I've gotten requests from both Shilo and rogue solus to update with at least one more chapter. I'm going to try and make this a half-decent one. I hope it works. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I know I put one of these in at the first chapter for all of them, but I felt it was overdue. Do ANY of you honestly think I own these characters? No? Good, because I don't.

… - Smeagol

{…} - Gollum

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Chapter 7: Odd Ends

Gollum slunk along the rocks with the ease of years of experience. All that time in the Mines of Moria had given him a gracefulness in moving across rocks that few creatures besides orcs and balrogs ever gain. His thin shrunken body seemed to blend in with the rocky background as they went along. The hobbits always managed to make sure he stayed in sight though.

__

Why must they do this to us? We only wants the Preciousss!! Gollum thought to himself as he led the group to the Black Gate. He rather liked the hobbit with the Precious; that hobbit understood him. The other one, the one that was always protecting the one with the Precious, he didn't like at all. _Good master hobbit calls us Smeagol. Bad hobbit calls us Gollum. We likes the good hobbit and don't like the bad! _

{Why don't we gets rid of the bad hobbit? We don't need him}

Master likes the stupid one. We must not harm the stupid one!

{But Master doesn't know if it's us that kills the other one. That tall being that is not an elf gives us a bad feeling. We should get rid of him too.}

No, no, Smeagol doesn't like murder! Smeagol doesn't like remembering…

Gollum kept this dialogue up with himself for quite some time as he kept guiding the group through the craggy landscape. Eventually they reached the bog-land. The mean hobbit insulted his intelligence when he accused Gollum of being stupid enough to lead them the wrong way and into a marshland. Smeagol glared at the hobbit, then snuck a glance at the other three people in the group. None of them seemed to agree with Sam's assumption. In fact, the other hobbit and the shorter human looked as if they disagreed with him entirely. Only the older human looked as if he shared a bit of Sam's point of view. 

But the humans didn't know this realm yet. Smeagol took heart in this as much as he could and led them on. This promised to be an interesting journey.

********

Merry raced with the others through the woods. They had to put as much distance between themselves and the army of Uruk-hai as possible. _What I wouldn't give for an ale right now,_ he thought as they kept running. _Maybe some of this throbbing pain would go away if I had one._

A sound in the forest behind them made him crane his neck to see behind him. Just beyond Ron and Pippin, one of the creatures had followed them into the forest; the one that had seemed particularly interested in eating them before. It was clutching a wicked-looking dagger in it's right hand and running at them with all of the force it could muster.

That was all the encouragement Merry needed to run faster. When he'd reached a tree that looked promising, he began to climb into the branches. Pippin and Ron followed suit. Ron hadn't gotten far when the creature dragged him down. The Uruk-hai soldier brandished his weapon. "I'll skin you alive, hobbit filth!"

As the knife threatened to draw close to Ron, the boy seemed to notice a shadow suddenly looming over them both. As he looked up, a mass of roots came slamming down on the Uruk-hai. His upward gaze was met with two gigantic amber eyes. A woody voice spoke, "That was a close one, young Orc." 

A giant hand of twigs picked Ron off the ground and held him in it's grasp. He glanced over and saw Merry and Pippin restrained in the other hand. Merry gave him an encouraging look and glanced up at the creature. "What are you?"

The bristly voice answered in a slow drone. "I am an Ent. A tree-herder of ancient days. They call me Treebeard. And what are your names, young orc spies?"

Pippin spoke up. "We're no' or' spies! We're hobbits! O' the Shire!"

Merry added his support. "Halflings! Little Folk!"

Ron shouted, "And one human! No orcs here!"

Treebeard gave a slow nod. "Maybe you are who you say. And maybe not. The White Wizard will know."

A dread filled Merry. _The White wizard??…_"Saruman."

Looks of fright filled the faces of the three captives as the Ent marched on to wherever he was going.

******* 

Aragorn's hopes fell when he saw the smoldering pile that was the remnants of the Uruk-hai. He saw no signs of movement or life anywhere. His horse balked slightly when it smelled the scent of the creatures once more, but with a little urging, it went within twenty feet of the pile. The horse refused to go any closer. With a small sigh, he dismounted, gave the animal's nose a pat of encouragement, and slowly walked up to the smoking waste. The other three were right behind him.

Gimli began prodding the burnt corpses with his axe. It was not a pretty sight. A small voice called out from behind them. "_Mobiluscorpus." _Hermione had her wand drawn and was slowly moving bodies off the pile, a slight green tinge to her face as she saw the remains. Legolas was standing beside her, a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. He obviously didn't like seeing the results of the Rohirrim's attack, either. His elf eyes glanced over every body as it was moved, searching for something that might lead them as to what happened to their friends.

Then Aragorn spotted one of the hobbits' dagger sheaths in the pile of burnt refuse. He held it up for the rest of them to see. Gimli's head drooped in sorrow. Hermione had tears in her eyes that were very close to falling. Legolas was saying words of a blessing, his hand moving from Hermione's shoulder to give her a hug. She tolerated it for a long moment before slowly pulling away and walking away from the pile. The tears were flowing freely from her eyes.

The heir of Isildur fell to his knees and let out a cry of anguish. He had failed them. All three of them were gone, and it was his fault. He buried his face in his hands. How could he deal with this?

As he knelt there, Aragorn noticed three crushed spots on the dead grass. _That's where they were laying. _A weird feeling coursed through him when he looked at the spots. His ranger skills told him that the hobbits and Ron hadn't been laying there helplessly. There were flattened patches of grass nearby signifying that there were creatures trying to crawl. Notifying the others of this, he got up and started to act out what had happened. His suspicions were confirmed when, at the spot he indicated, they found the sliced ropes of their friends. He then told them that the tracks of the hobbits and Ron led away from the battle, into the forest. 

At this revelation, Gimli looked as if he could have kissed Aragorn. They were all relieved when he didn't proceed to do so. Legolas's eyes began to shimmer with a hopeful gleam again and he got the usual determined look back on his face. Hermione's tears had stopped. She quickly composed herself and set off into the woods, not looking back once. Aragorn admired her bravery and nonchalance at going into the dreaded forest. But then again, she didn't know the legends about it. 

Not stopping to think about it, Aragorn led the other two members of their group after the retreating back of the girl. A voice saying "Lumos!" drifted back to them, and they saw a light go on from the tip of Hermione's wand. If anything around her moved too quickly, she would say "Nox!" and throw a hex at it. Nothing got by her. 

As they walked further into the trees, Legolas told Aragorn that a presence was drawing closer. Gimli drew his axe as he heard this. The trees began moaning and creaking even more than they already had. Hermione had brandished her wand threateningly again, pointing it at every little sound. She had a look of defiance and determination on her face. Arda help the one that got her mad. 

Legolas told them both to lower their weapons. Both did so reluctantly. The excess creaking stopped. A hand appeared on Aragorn's shoulder. "The White Wizard." Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Legolas glance behind them. 

As if by a silent agreement, they all pivoted around at the same time and each threw a destructive thing at the sudden white blaze. Nothing penetrated the light, though. Aragorn's sword grew so hot it scorched his hand. Gimli's axe was split. Legolas's arrow never left it's bow. He didn't think it was wise to attempt to shoot something that could repel an axe. Hermione's curse had at first seemed to do something, but was then dispelled a moment later. The light faded. They all stared in astonishment.

"Gandalf?"

********

Dobby stepped out of the room. He had just finished one of his Elvish lessons. He had learned what some of the names of the Elves meant. For instance, he now knew that Elrond's name meant "star dome." _What weird names these beings have. _Then Dobby realized that to them, Dobby was probably a pretty odd name.

In payment for his lodging, he had agreed to Galadriel's terms; a story a week about his own realm, and daily odd jobs around the city. His house-elf magic could come in handy for some of the smaller jobs and make it easier on the elves. He was more than happy to oblige. After all, the elves were being exceptionally nice to him. He would feel at home working for once instead of being treated otherwise.

So off he went, mending things here and there, using simple sweeping magic to clean the little bit of dust that the elves managed to leave around. He also stopped and mended garments and carried packages for some of the elves along the way. He was always happy to help in exchange to listening to them talk and improve his Elfin grammar.

As he was listening to a young lady elf chatter about her hair as he carried her shopping bags, he overheard a conversation going on behind them. He recognized the words "Rohan", "Saruman", "destroy", and "conquer". Fear flooded him when he heard the word "Elessar". He had heard Galadriel call Aragorn that as they had departed from Caras Galadhon. That meant that some of his friends were in the middle of danger!! Things had been going so well, and now he had to worry.

He handed the young lady her packages and turned around to face the two soldiers discussing the matter. He looked up at them and asked them directly. "Elessar?"

The two soldiers glanced at each other and began rummaging in their robe pockets for a quill and paper. Before they got far Dobby made a pen and paper appear. They looked at him appraisingly and began writing. When they had finished, they gave him a note and said the name "Galadriel." 

Guessing what that meant, the house-elf took the note to Galadriel. She smiled at him. As she read the note, however, the smile faded slightly.

~_Dobby, it appears that Saruman has sent a band of ravagers against the kingdom of the Rohirrim. Aragorn is supposedly in that area at this very moment. The soldiers said that they are sure Aragorn can take care of himself, but I know you must still be worried. There is no need to fear for your friends' lives. If they die, it will not have been in vain.~_

Dobby listened to this and started a little when he heard Gandalf's name again. He decided to ask her about it. She told him that Gandalf had been resurrected as Gandalf the White, now on an equal par with Saruman. Dobby was overjoyed by the fact that his friends would now have the canny old wizard that reminded him of Dumbledore so much to help them through. With renewed confidence, he gave Galadriel a smile and went off to trim the hedges.

**********

A/N: So, what did you think? Reviews are always welcome! Flames too! And I'll take a cookie if you've got one! Thanks!


	9. Chapter 8: I need a title!

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Chapter 8: I need a title for this one

Severus felt as if he were a robot, moving forward without thought or feeling. The marsh was a desolate place, with intriguing little flame torches sprouting from the murky depths. He couldn't become fascinated by them, however. He could only think about one thing at the moment, and that was Haldir. It seemed like forever to Severus since they had left Caras Galadhon, and he knew he had left a little bit of his heart there. He could only hope in time to see the beautiful elf again.

He forced himself to pay more attention to where he was going. He had almost tripped over Potter when he hesitated for a few moments too long. It wouldn't have been a fun time falling into the waters of the marsh. There appeared to be dead bodies resting next to the flame spouts, and he didn't want to see those any closer.

"Don't stop, Potter, or I'll take you down with me when I fall." He gave Harry a small smirk, which the boy quickly returned and replied, "Yes, sir." 

They were startled by a small commotion ahead of them. It seemed that Frodo had done what Severus himself didn't want to. The creature called Gollum had fished him out of the water and dragged him up onto the dryer marsh grass. "Don't follow the lights!" Gollum told the soaking hobbit in that raspy voice of his. Then he scampered off to lead the way again.

Sam helped Frodo up and led him onward, following the creature. Severus and Harry quickly joined them.

They wandered for an immesurable amount of time. The hours became days, and Severus lost count after a week. Gollum seemed to know where he was going, since they weren't going in circles and were getting closer to the ominous black crags ahead of them. 

They were very close when an unearthly screech sounded above them. There was some conveniently-placed shrubbery ahead, so they quickly crawled under it. Severus was mildly surprised that they all fit under there. 

He then noticed Frodo, who was looking very pale and had his eyes rolled up into his head. He was clutching at his chest. The hobbit seemed to be fumbling with something around his neck. Sam quickly grabbed Frodo's hand and held it, telling him that it would be ok and to not give in. When Severus looked up, he understood why. One of the black-cloaked creatures was riding what seemed to be a bird, but a gigantic one. It seemed to be about the size of the roc birds that had existed in Merlin's time. Both creature and rider were shrieking as they swooped around the marsh. 

Severus grabbed his wand and cast a spell over them that would cause the rider to not notice their presence. The black creature circled the area several more times and flew off to hunt elsewhere. Sighing with relief, the group rolled out from under the shrubbery and quickly set off once more for the black region. A growing sense of foreboding filled Severus. _I wonder what will happen, and I wish I knew what was really going on here_

********

Ron listened with fascination as Treebeard told them the story of the Entwives. It reminded him a bit of the situation with the ogres in his own realm. But this was much more severe. At least wherever the ogres were, they were together. It appeared that the Entwives have been gone for a very long time and that their race was slowly dying out. He wished there was something they could do. 

Then he thought of something. Before they had left their own world, they had been working on a Locater spell in Charms. He hadn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, but he wondered if this would be a good time to try it. He didn't even know if it worked on live things, but anything was worth a try.

Ron suggested this to the others, and they were willing to give it a go. They were all in a much better mood since they found out who the White Wizard really was. Such a good mood, in fact, that they were willing to do pretty much anything. 

So, Ron pulled out his wand and focused. _Now, what was that spell? Hmmm… _He pondered it for a second and decided to try. As he cast the spell, he noticed that the color of the spell was wrong. It was supposed to be a golden-yellow, but this one was green-blue. As the spell passed through the foliage, it all began to turn a purple color.

When this happened, Ron knew he had done it wrong. He pulled out his wand and pointed it in the same direction that he had just cast the wrong spell in. "_Finite Incantatem!" _he shouted, and the abolition spell followed the mishap, hopefully canceling any effects of it.

Ron's face was now a deep shade of red. Muttering an apology, he thought some more about the spell. _I wish Hermione was here. I hope she's doing ok._ A slight frown crossed his face at the thought of Hermione not being ok. 

Then the correct incantation came to his mind. He held out his wand once more and said "_Locatus Arrorus Entwives!" _A golden arrow flew out of his wand and stopped in midair. It turned erratically in the air and then halted, pointing in a north-easterly direction. "There are your Entwives, Treebeard!"

The Ent gave Ron a grateful smile and stared at the arrow, memorizing the spot on the horizon it pointed to. "Very well, **hoom**, we shall call the Entmoot first, decide what to do, take care of it, and then we shall go find the Entwives."

They all seemed satisfied with that plan. The three passengers dozed off to sleep as Treebeard kept plodding on towards the meeting place.

********

Gandalf was enjoying his new-found vigor. He hadn't felt this fresh in decades. He was amused at the looks on the faces of his companions when they finally saw him. Their eyes were the biggest he'd ever seen. 

Chuckling to himself, he led them out of the forest. Giving a loud, melodious whistle, he waited calmly. Even though he could not see his companions, he knew they were giving him odd looks. _They must think I'm crazy. If only they knew. _

Then he was what he'd been waiting for. A brilliant white horse was galloping across the fields towards them. Behind the horse were three others; the horses that the group had been riding on.

He heard Legolas's voice from behind him. "That is one of the _Mearas, _unless my eyes are fooled by some trick."

Gandalf smiled silently to himself. He held up his hand to the horse as it drew nearer. "Shadowfax, my old friend. He is the Lord of the Horses. We have been through much together. Come, we shall ride to Edoras and talk to King Thé oden. Perhaps then he will believe there is danger in his kingdom."

All but Hermione mounted their steed. She was still standing there, staring at the horse Gandalf now sat astride. Shadowfax gave her a quizzical look, then took a step towards the girl and nuzzled her shoulder, as if saying, "We don't have all day! I didn't run all this way just to stand here!"

Smiling, Hermione quickly mounted her horse and began to follow the others. She caught up to the horse Legolas and Gimli rode. As she drew even with theirs, she flashed a quick smile over to the elf. He smiled back. Hermione thought to herself, _I'm beginning to like this adventure._

***

Hermione looked up in awe at the gorgeous building on the large hill. _That must be Edoras! I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful building!_

Her horse followed the others through the gates into the city. The peasants didn't look very happy at all. In fact, they seemed positively hostile.

As she looked away from the villagers and up toward the hall again, she noticed a lady standing on the edge, glancing down at them. She turned towards Legolas. "Who is that lady in front of the hall?"

The elf looked up at the building. "What lady?"

Hermione looked up again, but there was now no one standing where the young woman in the white dress had been. "She was just there! She had a white dress on, and she was just looking out from the ledge."

Legolas's eyes glinted with understanding. "That would be É owyn, the White Lady of Rohan. She's King Thé oden's niece."

Hermione nodded to show she understood and gave the elf another quick smile before she dismounted. They had reached the hall. 

One of the guards came down the steps towards them. "What is your business here?" he asked, a tone of suspicion obvious in his voice. _Why would he be suspicious of us? _Hermione thought.

Gandalf spoke up. "We wish to speak with your Lord, King Thé oden."

The guard nodded and beckoned them to follow him. They climbed the stairs and stood before the heavy, intricately decorated doors of the hall. The guard then spoke again. "I cannot let you go before King Thé oden so armed. I must ask you for your weapons."

Reluctantly, Aragorn turned over his sword and dagger, Gimli set down his axe, and Legolas removed his bow and quiver. Hermione was thankful that she could conceal her wand within her robes. She noticed that they tried to take Gandalf's staff from him, but he refused to be separated from his "walking stick". Cunning old man. She then heard Aragorn threatening the guard, in the case that anyone should touch his sword or any of the weapons. The guard hastily agreed and they entered the darkness of the hall.

The first thing Hermione noticed was the woman she had seen before. Her eyes looked as if she had been crying, and she stood slightly to the left on the floor before the throne platform. There was a magnificent throne with lion's paws carved for the armrests. Upon that throne sat a very old-looking man with a crown upon his head. _King Thé oden, _she thought. Next to the king sat a very nasty-looking fellow. She was slightly amused to see that his hair reminded her of Professor Snape's. But even her professor looked like a hygienic person in comparison to this one.

Gandalf was talking to Thé oden, who was being given advice by the greasy man next to him. There was something odd in the king's eyes that Hermione didn't like. Suddenly, the greasy man noticed Gandalf's staff and demanded that it be taken from him. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas all jumped into action as the hall guards came at them. They punched the guards and disposed of them the best they could. 

Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered several curses. She gave one of the guards boils and made another one sprout branches. She disarmed several of the others. Once they were all disposed of, she noticed Aragorn standing over the greasy man, who looked as if he had tried to escape during the struggle. She walked over to them and pointed her wand at the prisoner. "Move and I'll make your hair clean! If you're not careful, I might just do that anyway and give you a floor-length beard to match!"

Aragorn glanced at her and grinned appreciatively. She smiled back, then turned her focus to what Gandalf was doing to King Thé oden. She paled as she examined the scene. Her blood ran cold as she watched the king squirm in his throne. He was cringing and yelling, obviously in a lot of pain. It reminded her of the Cruciatus Curse. She had half a mind to stop Gandalf. Only her trust in his goodness stopped her.

Suddenly, the king began to morph. The long gray hair and beard shrunk to a short, blond length and color. His eyes cleared, going from a milky white to a clear blue. His skin tightened, and he no longer looked like an old man, but a young one that hasn't trimmed his beard in a while. 

Gandalf turned around and looked at her. Seeing her pale face, he gave her a concerned glance. She shook her head and gave a small grin, letting him know that she was ok. He seemed hesitant, but then nodded slightly and talked to the king. Thé oden listened attentively until he noticed the greasy man still being held prisoner.

Shoving the man out of the building and down the steps, the king insulted and exiled him. He was going to kill him, but Aragorn stopped him, saying death was too good for the betrayer. The man ran off. Hermione was amused to hear them refer to him as 'Wormtongue'. It reminded her of her own realm, with it's evil Wormtail.

They returned into the hall and discussed the danger. In the end, it was decided that the people of Edoras must go to they're sanctuary, which they call Helm's Deep.

*********

Dobby approached Galadriel with caution. He wasn't sure how she was going to react to the request he was about to make. She grinned at him and asked him what was on his mind.

In halting elvish, Dobby stated, "If please, Lady, Dobby would learn war skills. Dobby wants to help if needed. Dobby wants to be of use."

Galadriel looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled at him once more. ~_Very well, Dobby, you may learn how to use weapons. We shall have to get some made for your size before you may begin training, however. If you decide to undertake this, you will also learn strategy and logic as well. Great warriors fight with their minds, not their muscles.~_

Dobby said, "Dobby understand, Galadriel. Dobby wants to do."

The elf beckoned over one of her guards. She muttered something in elvish to him and he nodded. _~Dobby, follow this elf, he will take you to the smith to get some armor and weapons made.~_

Dobby beamed at Galadriel and bowed before he left. _Now perhaps Dobby can be of some assistance to his friends. Dobby must fight!_

When they reached the smith, Dobby was taken inside and measured for the appropriate proportions for his gear. As the metalworker was making the supplies, Dobby admired the beautiful full-sized weapons around him. Beautiful carved bows, swords with engravings etched in them, arrows that shone like silver. There were even daggers disguised as pocket mirrors for the women.

After several hours, the smith came back with Dobby's new armor and weapons. The house-elf tried them on, and they fit perfectly. The smith made slight adjustments here and there until it fit like a glove. He then called the other elf back to lead Dobby to his first lesson. 

The house-elf was positively glowing with happiness. Now he could finally be of real use to this realm! He just hoped he was good enough.

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End Chapter 8


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